Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-13
MORE THAN INSTINCT.
1t Looked Very Much as if This Dog
Understood and Reasoned.

Christian Advocate: Mr.. Harold Doll =
ner, a native of Denmark, and for many
years consul general of Denmark in this
city, and portion of the time acting
minister OF that kingdom, and well
known to business men as the head of
the firm of Dollner, Potter & Co., of New
York, for many years resided in Brooklyn
in mansion of the old style situated on
Washington avenue in the midst of what,
for a city, are large grounds. He al
ways took great interest in his flowers
trees and vegetables, and the heart of the
city raised the very finest kinds of pump
kins. He also kept two or three dogs
one a house dog, another OF the spaniel
variety and the third powerful mas
tiff The mastitf was always chained
near the stable and not far from the rear
entrance to the premises.
In certain autumn the pumpkins
which were produced in Mr.. Dollner's
garden were of such extraordinary SIZE
and beauty, that they excited the cupidlty
of a person who stole two of the largest of
them and took them to the horticultural
exhibition, where he entered them as his
own, and actually took the premium for
them. This so raised Mr.. Dollner's in
dignation that he instructed his gardener
to take off the largest of those which re-
mained and deposit them in the cellar,
lest they also should be stolen. At the
same time he told him to set the mastiff
loose. so that if anybody else came in at
night to steal the pumpkins the dog
would attack him. Pursuant to this order
the gardener worked all the afternoon
taking off the finest of the pumpkins,
which he carried up one by one, piing
them near the cellar door, until he had
finished, when he conveyed them into the
cellar. About sunset he unclaimed the
mastif.
This dog had watched the performance
of the gardener, and during the night he
gnawed off the largest of the remaining
pumkins and carried them one by one to
the cellar door. where he piled them up
and stood guard over them until the next
morning, when, as the cook arose and
opened the kitchen. door, with an ex-
wagged his tail, looked up for approba-
ton, and went away. The next night he
gnawed off everything from the size of a
hazel nut upward and carried them
to the cellar door as before. A few days
afterward, when the person suspected of
having stolen the pumpkins, who had al
ways been friendly with him, entered,
the nastif sprang upon him with the
utmost rage.
MIR. Dolfnger was living when we wrote
the above. 1t was then sent to him with
the request that he would certify to its
truth If he could, or alter it till he could
conscientiously attest it, A few weeks
before his death was received our last
communication from him:
$50 WAsHINaToN AVENUE, BROOKLYN,
July Il, 1SSa-l certify that the account given
by DR.. Buckley of my pumpkins and my dog
Is true in every particular.
HAROLD DoLLNER.
It is plain that the mastiff had never
seen such operation before. He there.
fore must have comprehended it by an
effort of the mind, held it through the
entire night, worked upon 1t, contem.
plated it as complete act. and surren.
dered the pumpkins to the family when
they arose. Yet, of course, he failed to
comprehend the reason, or to distinguish
the value of the ripe from the green
pumpkins. He also obviously connected
the man who had in his sight stolen the
pumpkins, with the deed.
At the time this was told the writer,
| there were six witnesses living-the gar.
dener, two servants in the house, and the
owner of the establishment, his wife
and their SON